Absolute Power
by Krayt-Eagle
Summary: EU. NJO. Coruscant is lost. Wedge Antilles commands a fleet to hold Borleais to give relief to a broken Republic. Jaina takes the mantle of Trickster Goddess as Kyp tries to keep her from falling over the edge. All is not what it seems, as they are all pawns on a board that no one knows who is orchestrating.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note; Takes place about middle of NJO series... This starts a bit into Rebel Dream, by Aaron Alston, to give you a timeframe.**

Prologue

D-day had arrived.

Even through the dense canopy of foliage looming above, streaks of ion, laser, and plasma energy lit the dusk sky like an Ewok festival. Silhouettes of large spacecraft breached the atmosphere with their smaller counterparts following in close formation. The whine of corralskippers screamed high among the trees as they hastened towards the new arrivals.

The small figure on the forest floor, breathing heavily, took a moment to absorb the spectacle before resuming her death-pace run. Muffled, inarticulate guttural voices stemmed a distance behind her followed by the insistent sound of razor-edged amphistaffs slicing at overgrown vegetation. Using a hand to vault herself over a decaying tree trunk, her scavenged Imperial armor smudged against the grime. Had she better options, she would not be wearing the white legging armor that stood out like a bantha on a beach in the thickly green and multi-colored forested area of Borleais. But being behind enemy lines severely limited her resources, thus she made sure to crawl on, scrape through, or lean against any mud or natural grime she came across.

She was filthy; even a Wookiee couldn't keep a straight face after he got a whiff of her.

Bouncing on her hip as she ran was a modified holdout blaster pistol. A vibrostaff attached at the intersection of her crossed bandoleer tapped incessantly between her shoulder blades. She wore a hardened vest that would protect against vibro (or in this case, amphistaff) slashes and the little craters pockmarked along it suggested thud bug protection, too. Her arms were bare but showed abuse from bruises, burns, and battle scars.

Feeling that she had lost her tail, she approached a high rocky embankment to survey the unfolding battle in the distance. A large transport made a landing near a Yuuzhan Vong stronghold where there once had been an Imperial scientific installation. Starfighters whirled about in triangle formations, supporting the ground troops and harassing the skips. A glance to the east strongly suggested that these invaders would soon find their hands full as half-a-dozen rakamats were making their appearance.

She shook her head, a pained expression on her face. If this were a hit-and-run situation, they wouldn't have sent in infantry: the New Republic certainly didn't have the lives to spare. If the plan were to retake the alien base, then they better possess more reinforcements than they were currently showcasing.

A wounded coralskipper whipping by overhead caused her cower briefly; it was followed by the howling roar of the ion drives of an X-wing in pursuit of its quarry. The pilot of that craft, however, made the mistake of abandoning his wing mates for an easy prey, for an undamaged skip flew in from the rear and tore away the starfighter's shields. The pilot made a valiant effort to dodge, but the flurry of plasma was bound to hit something. The X-wing spun wildly out of control. Moments before striking the canopy, it righted itself, and struck ground hard.

No explosion, surprisingly.

She tilted her head, calculating some complex formula in her mind as she took account of the events unfolding in her environment.

With resolve, she headed into the battlefield, in the direction of the fallen starfighter several kilometers away.


	2. Finding Nothing

**- - Finding Nothing**

An artless _ding _permeated Wedge's office.

"Come in."

The door swung open to reveal his second-in-command, Tycho Celchu. "General."

"Tycho," Wedge greeted, dismissing formalities, "What have you got for me?"

Tycho stood at ease with a light smile upon his face. "We've heard back from Gavin and Calrissian. The mission went according to plan. The results suggest that the Yuuzhan Vong aren't using any sort of tracking creature tagged on the refugee vessels. So that leads us to believe it's an intelligence leak, whether it be from the individual refugees themselves, Peace Brigade, or someone higher up the food chain at SELCORE."

Wedge Antilles leaned back into his chair as the information was laid out before him. He had heard of the devious activities of Viqi Shesh, a Kuati senator who had been a part of the Senate Select Committee for Refugees, aka SELCORE, so the suggestion that there were corrupt members of the organization was a laudable deduction.

Tycho concluded with the two words every leader hopes to hear at the end of a mission report, "No casualties."

He didn't realize how taut his muscles were until they relaxed. "Good. What else?"

"Communications relayed from a Hapan freighter and an X-wing escort are in-system and inbound. It's Jaina Solo."

Wedge nodded, satisfied.

"Lowbacca is with her on board." Tycho paused, briefly, "Durron's their escort."

Wedge shook his head, disgruntled.

Tycho remained admirably quiet: he knew of the history between the man before him and the infamous Jedi Master. Jaina inbound was good news, it was just dealing with a provocative Kyp Durron during such a sensitive operation at Borleias that put Wedge in a foul mood. The success of this operation depended on people following orders and coordinating amongst each other. As admirable as Kyp's goals may have been, the man had the discipline of a rancor in a glass shop.

Wedge had his index finger massaging the edge of his temple when his train of thought was interrupted. "Some of the Wraiths are getting itchy with down time. They could, say, personally greet him with their refitted IX4 laser cannons to make sure his shields are up to proper standards."

Wedge couldn't help the reflexive smile for his friend's attempt to amuse him. "You know me, I'm a pilot and can never discourage ship maintenance and testing a craft's capabilities," Wedge sobered, "but we need any Jedi we can get, right now, likable or not." He returned his gaze back upon his companion, noting that Tycho's expression stated he wasn't done. "Something else?"

"Yes, an emergency beacon on one of our lost craft seems to have activated," he added, although perplexity could be seen in the lines of his face.

Wedge asked, "Whose craft? When?" The general ran the list of the lost in his mind, trying to recall which of his pilots hadn't been confirmed killed but were missing in action. Surprised, he couldn't recall any of who would fit that category.

"That's just it, sir. It was Twins Ten, a Duros by the name of Wyn Karpos."

Wedge remembered the name; he didn't forget the names of men and women lost under his command easily. Wyn had been an extra body they picked up on their way to Borleias. He was another refugee displaced by the war, but he certainly knew his way around a cockpit and, like many, wanted to exact vengeance against the Vong. Wedge searched his mental databanks to recall the time period when Wyn was lost, when Tycho provided the answer for him.

"It doesn't make sense. Twins Ten was listed as KIA a month ago in the taking of Borleias. There's no reason for the signal to be activated now."

Wedge's finger caressed his chin as he contemplated. "Would you reckon the Vong activated it? Would they even bother trying to _use _our technology?"

"I can't reasonably say they would, because their hands become a wrecking ball whenever they come in contact with our so-called _abominations_." Tycho paused, "I can't imagine a pilot surviving not only impact, but being a lone borra in a jungle infested with Yuuzhan Vong and preserving an intact homing beacon from a bunch of bloodthirsty technophobes?"

Wedge's posture slackened slightly, and although he agreed with Tycho's analysis, he also shot a look towards his friend, reminding him of all of the "unlikely scenarios" they'd encountered and survived in their lifetime together.

"I understand it's _possible_, and I'd be the first man out there to escort our pilot home if that were the case. But something…"

"Gives you a bad feeling?"

"Like a Hutt's entrée."

"Thank you for that image."

"Anytime, sir."

Wedge took a moment to consider the possibilities and formulate a plan. "I'm not comfortable with this either, but we can't ignore it. Send out a trio of Wraiths to scout the area from above and report any Yuuzhan Vong movement they can find. This is to be a simple flyby, meaning _no one _comes in too low to be greeted by a rakamat spitting plasma. Everyone comes home.

"Based upon what they have to report, we will send a small team to the crash site and find out who activated that beacon." Tycho confirmed this with a nod.

"Dismissed."

* * *

Jaina's head turned as though it had been snapped around by a Wookiee wrestler. "You mean that?"

"I do. And I don't think the symbolism will be lost on the Yuuzhan Vong. Luke Skywalker gives up his personal squadron—"

"A squadron with the word _twin _in the name," Jag said, his tone low.

"Good point," Luke said. "It was actually named in memory of Tatooine, but they don't know that."

Wedge nodded. "Jaina could use some command experience, and I know something she doesn't—which is that Corran Horn has rejoined Rogue Squadron. Meaning that we'd have two starfighter squadrons with Jedi in them. That might allow us some even more extravagant experimentation in tactics."

"I brought in a fighter squadron from Hapes," Jag said. "But the notion of learning tactics involving Force coordination—and playing with the minds of our enemies—is an intriguing one. I think I'd like to join your Twin Suns Squadron."

"I would, too." That was Kyp Durron. Wedge allowed the surprise he felt mirror his features.

"You're both sure? About taking orders from a squadron leader with a lot less experience than you have?"

"Yes," Jag said. "I know how to take orders as well as give them. And my second-in-command, Shawnkyr Nuruodo, is certainly qualified to lead the squadron I brought."

Kyp nodded. "I suspect I'd benefit from analyzing and advising for a while instead of leading. If I start to chafe, I can always transfer out."

Something was different with Durron, of that much Wedge was certain. A glance at a small exchange between Leia and Han proved that he wasn't the only one to note the difference. He returned his attention to Jaina. "There you go." He smiled. "An instant squadron for you to reconfigure as the honor guard of the manifestation of a Yuuzhan Vong goddess. This means that the very first thing you get is bureaucratic personnel matters to deal with. I'll see if I can round up an Ewok pilot candidate to throw your way just to make things more difficult. You'll be my age in no time."

The debriefing had concluded and as all remaining participants were finding their way to the exit, a hand caught Master Skywalker's shoulder.

"Luke, before you go, I need to ask for your help on a certain matter."

Luke pivoted and met the steely eyes of Wedge Antilles. "Of course." concerned with his friend's expression, he asked, "is this a Jedi matter?"

"Not necessarily, no. But it could use a Jedi hand, if you could spare it."

Luke felt a presence emerge beside him and an unguarded wave of irritation emanated from Wedge, as their conversation was no longer secluded. Kyp Durron must have noticed, but it didn't stop him from interrupting, "I'd like to lend that hand, if you'd let me."

Kyp jumping at the opportunity for action was no surprise, but whatever Wedge had to offer didn't yet promise of some audacious venture, and thus him volunteering was a bit premature. Probing his aura resulted in the familiar wave of determination and duty, but also a sense of purpose that smoothed the serrated edginess about him that hovered before.

Something had changed him, that was for certain.

Wedge's animosity for him, however, had not. "You leap without looking, Durron."

Kyp matched Wedge's calculated stare with a surprisingly reserved one, "I'd just like to make myself useful." The former Rogue pilot glanced towards Luke.

"What's the matter you need help with, Wedge?"

One last reluctant glance at Kyp passed briefly before the man began addressing Luke, "We have a downed ship deep in Yuuzhan Vong territory calling for withdrawal. The extricating factor is that this X-wing pilot went down the day we took Borleias, approximately a month ago. The rescue beacon has only recently been activated."

The leader of Jedi Order folded his arms, "You suspect something."

"Yes. The pilot who crashed isn't a ground trooper, and to survive in enemy territory for a month with a lone sidearm, pocket knife, and two weeks' worth of rations? It's plain implausible, but _someone _activated that beacon."

"You think it's a trap?" Kyp asked.

"I think it's unusual that such tech hasn't been reduced to slag after a month's long stay in Yuuzhan Vong territory. Not only does the device survive the crash but it endures the elements of the jungle, as well?"

"So you think it's a trap." Kyp blandly stated.

"It's a concern," he directed at Kyp, before continuing, "We have two scenarios; either my pilot survived the odds and is calling home, or the Yuuzhan Vong are beginning to study and use our technology instead of abhorrently demolishing it."

Luke interceded, "Are you sure it's not just a technical malfunction? That some wildlife made a home in the wreck and interacted with the circuit board?"

"No, an emergency beacon is not like a comlink, which if you sit on it a certain way you suddenly having a rear-end conversation with some poor chap on the other line. And our tech experts say that there is no glitch in our communication systems. So the fact remains that someone manually activated the beacon."

"Have you scouted the area?"

"I've ordered an aerial recon." Wedge looked remorseful, "It was a fatal crash, no doubt about it. Parts of the craft were scattered about, although would be salvageable if put into the right hands."

Kyp put in, "Any Vong activity?"

"Yes, but not heavily concentrated, no. Our recon units encountered only a pair of coralskippers and dealt with them easily enough."

"You want a search party, then?" Luke pondered the possible candidates before Wedge even confirmed his conclusion with a nod.

"If by any fortune that Wyn Karpos is alive out there, we'll give that a chance. But the most critical component of this mission is to find out who in Correllia's Nine Hells activated that beacon. We need to know if the enemy has gotten a grip on its revulsion for our technology in order to study it. One of our greatest advantages over the enemy has been our ability to comprehend their biotech and their unwillingness to adapt to ours." Wedge annunciated every detail, "If we lost that advantage, we need to know _now_."

The general let the last statement weigh heavily in the air as the two Jedi Masters absorbed the information. Kyp, for his part, remained untypically quiet as he waited for the Grand Master to speak first.

"When?" was all he asked.

"Tomorrow, just before dawn."

"A small number would be preferable, they'd be less detectable and less cumbersome."

"Air support will be on standby, should they need it," Wedge affirmed.

Luke turned slyly towards his counterpart, "You up for it, Kyp?"

"Yep," he nodded just before smiling, "and I know just who to take with me."

* * *

Jaina Solo was not a morning person.

Her newly appointed "Master" barged into her room at the Force-awful early hour of the morning saying that they had an assignment to carry out. It took flashing lights, cranked holonet, and a flipped (and occupied) mattress to realize he was serious. They had a debriefing just the night before, and no one mentioned anything about an assignment to her. How'd he get the key to her room, anyway? Didn't he have the decency to tell her beforehand?

"This is beforehand." Then he mentioned having to be ready in a few minutes.

Arrogant, borked backrocket son of a—! Why didn't he mention it last night?

"I wanted you to sleep," he said.

Sleep? Sleep?! Did he _not _know how late in the evening that debriefing was? She reminded him.

He brought a stim-caf, at least. Fool intentionally kept it out of reach, though. "You've had enough downtime over our week in transit from Hapes." The look he'd given her was animatedly concerned. "You don't need any _more_ sleep, do you?"

It turns out that anger was quite enough a stimulant that she didn't even need the caffeine to get her senses about her.

Both were now riding antiquated but efficient 74-Z speeder bikes and gliding over the forest canopy. The sun's rays colored the horizon and began casting away what was left of night as she saw Kyp signal her that they were closing in on their destination. They simultaneously began lowering their altitude and reducing speed as they scanned their surroundings looking for anything conspicuous.

A few thud bugs during their cross-country trek were the only evidence of Yuuzhan Vong scouts within the vicinity, and any trailing warriors were easily outpaced by their speeder bikes. Ahead was an elongated clearing that marred the wooded area and stood out like an ugly scar.

They'd reached the crash site.

On cue, her comm clicked, "Check your scanners. Pick up anything?"

She glanced at her sensors. "A lot of life signs, but can't differentiate the native wildlife from the Yuuzhan Vong."

"Use your _other_ scanner."

Jaina mentally fumbled as she glanced over her systems again to see what she missed when she felt a conceptual _tug _against her presence. She whipped her head around in her Master's direction and gave him an astonished look. To her chagrin, he was giving her that same, stupid smile. That fracking smile that annoyed her to no ends and did strange things to her stomach.

"Seriously, Kyp?"

He nodded.

"You can't sense the Vong in the Force."

"Glad you remembered."

"And you forgot?" She was about to relay to him how surprised she was that that fact managed to squirm its way out of his very, _very _dense cranium when he interrupted her.

"What does a Yuuzhan Vong feel like in the Force?"

She gave him an incredulous look, "Nothing!"

"Precisely, my apprentice." She didn't like the demeaning tone with which he pronounced _my apprentice_. "Use your senses, scan the area, refer to your instruments, and find…" He edged over his bike, gleaming green eyes suddenly pensive and serious, "…_nothing_."

Gears began turning in her head and she closed her eyes as she heightened her other senses. Her awareness expanded and she investigated the life forms around her. The Force hummed its existence from the vegetation and pulsed within the rootless creatures scuttling about. She recalled from her scanner exactly where the larger wildlife forms were located and investigated their presence. Most teemed with life and primitive impulses, but a few were quiet, desolate, empty…

Nothing.

She opened her eyes to find that the Jedi Master had moved closer to her position and hovered on his transport some several meters away. "So, what did you find?"

She decided to mock him, "_Nothing_."

He didn't smile, but his eyes sure did.

"You know, you could've been straightforward about it instead of talking in circles, Durron."

"That is not the Jedi way."

"It is not _your _way, either. You're as blunt as a lightsaber."

"I'm teaching you how to _think_, Jaina."

"Fine. Then I _think _we should get moving because there are two patrols of Yuuzhan Vong moving just outside our crash zone."

"Good thinking." She rolled her eyes at the pun. "I'm going to scout and take stock of our overly-scarred forest hikers and make sure their prescribed trail isn't akin to ours. You survey the crash site then find the emergency beacon and our lost pilot. May the Force be with you." With that, he jerked the handle of his speeder bike and sped off away to the north, where Jaina had sensed a pocket of "nothings" skirting about in the forest.

She circled the area, just to be certain no dangers lay ahead. With each pass, she got a good look at the damage the starfighter had taken. The rough landing severely disfigured the X-wing chassis and the S-foils were severed and nearly obliterated on impact. Chunks of durasteel littered the area like a trail of breadcrumbs.

Sensing no immediate dangers, Jaina slowly settled her bike down near the bulky wreck. Her lightsaber hilt bounced lightly against her hip as she swung one leg up and over her seat to land swiftly on the slightly marred grass. Although the natural foliage took quite a beating, nature was already showing its resilience to reseed and regrow as weeds and smaller wildlife found home in the craft.

Jaina made her way over to the capsized cockpit and her stomach dropped with the remains she found inside.

No doubt about it, the Duros pilot perished in the crash.

Strangely enough, seeing the fate of the pilot wasn't what unsettled her nerves. She'd partaken and lost enough in this war and figured disturbingly enough that her fate would be akin to this. She'd long lost hope of surviving the galactic conflict, but she'd never let anyone know that. Her death would only hurt those close to her, so she intended to keep her distance.

Her uneasiness actually stemmed from the grave concern that, if the pilot, who obviously died upon impact, hadn't activated the rescue beacon, the only remaining possibility was that the Yuuzhan Vong _did._ And if the enemy found the stomach to study and comprehend the technology and to adapt theirs accordingly, then the galaxy would be lost.

However, she wouldn't draw up such fatal conclusions until she herself witnessed the alien species engrossed in a card game via a holo-terminal. Until that momentous event, the Republic still had hope.

Thus, she opened herself more fully to her surroundings, snapped on a glowstick, and got her knees dirty as she gingerly crawled her way into the cockpit. Small shards of transparisteel that had once formed a canopy cracked under her weight. Her mechanical expertise came to the forefront as she took inventory of the cramped compartment.

The instrument panel was a goner, for sure. As she scooted in further, stirring up a dust cloud of Force-knows-what, she found that most of the inner sections that pocketed a pilot's personal equipment appeared intact. After a brief sneezing fit, she scavenged the area where a pilot's left boot would be to get her hands on the military-issued medkit and toolbox.

What she extracted had been neither and was blinking a red light at quick intervals.

It was the beacon!

Jaina's stomach dropped. _The pilot was _dead_! Who the blazes activated it? _Jaina scurried herself from the confines of the ship and emerged a much darker hue than how she had entered. She hurried for her comm. Now in the sunlight, she took stock of the device in her hand and noticed it had not only been damaged but also fixed.

"Kriff, this doesn't look good…" she sighed to herself.

"_You're gonna have to specify a bit, Jaina."_

She forgot she left her hand on the transceiver button. She put her lips to the comm and reached out to him in the Force. She had to be on the highest alert, now.

"The pilot is KIA, we've got med and mechanical supplies missing, and I found the beacon which got busted but was later fixed." She paused as he calculated the information. Through their bond, she felt his question before he asked it. "But there are no signs of the typical Yuuzhan Vong doing their mechanical crucifixion. Whatever was damaged was caused by the crash, except for the evidence of salvaged materials and repair job done on the beacon."

She heard heavy breathing on the other line; he was running. _"You're right, this isn't promising. Some patrols of Yuuzhan Vong are closing in—"_ She heard a harsh buzzing, and a quick _hiss_ of energy silenced it.

"—_on the area,"_ he finished.

"What was _that_?"

"_Nothing."_ She briefly recalled his pun earlier. _"Listen, salvage the beacon and we'll take it to base and Danni will have her team of scientists look at it."_

"Was that a thud bug?" She interjected.

"_Are you hearing me? This frequency seems fuzzy." _She heard the sharp buzzing again that was vanquished from a very familiar hiss.

She couldn't help herself. "Jedi Master Durron, did you find yourself some trouble?"

"_Why, is Mara Jade here?"_ There was a brief pause as she sensed he was mildly preoccupied. Meanwhile, she gathered her belongings and the homing beacon into her pouch and prepped her bike. She called in to base to inform them of the situation and that they'd be making their way back with the package. She finished with an "over-and-out."

Pressing her feet against the pedals, the bike roared to life and gathered altitude. She now hovered over the canopy and kept her eyes on the horizon searching for her cohort. A moment passed until she found his shadowed silhouette rising from the canopy against the glaring sun.

She leaned forward and angled her bike so she could catch up with him. When they were in range of each other, she noted his panting form. "Well, don't you look like you ran a parsec."

"Good morning." His eyes scanned over her and a sniff that wrinkled his nose reminded her that she wasn't all that well-looking, herself. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bunk."

"Hey, I woke up _on the_ _floor_ this morning because of you!" He gave her an amused sidelong glance that infuriated her, and sped off ahead of her towards base. She raced after him and didn't slow down when she passed him.

The Master laughed. "So, if that's how you wanna play it…" he muttered before partaking in her challenge and catching her tail.

Jaina noticed him on her rear, and made sure to mimic every move he made so her rear engine flaps was all he'll get to see. After a few jinks and jukes, he started understanding her game, and made a few moves even the Solo found challenging.

She was enjoying herself. She reached into her bond with her challenger to gauge what maneuver he'd pull next when she felt severe alertness and warning from him kick in.

Her danger sense spiked.

Something impacted the rear engine, and immediately her bike began shuddering violently. It took all of her piloting skills and concentration to keep her vehicle upright instead of entering a fatal tailspin. Her engine spat and sputtered before falling silent.

Jaina used the Force to feebly maneuver the aircraft as it entered the brush. Her face and body endured vicious slaps from snapping tree limbs. She felt her awareness and control in the Force amplify as Kyp fueled her energy through their bond. She was able to prevent a deadly nosedive and continued to slow her momentum until she had no choice but to abandon her efforts.

She leapt from her speeder and the impact thoroughly knocked the wind out of her.

Her danger sense didn't abate.

She tried to force air into her seizing lungs as she stumbled as fast as possible to her feet and activate her lightsaber. She thumbed the switch just as the first barrage of thud bugs pressed towards her. Following the razor projectiles were primitive war cries of several Yuuzhan Vong. A second wave was released as the first of the scarred warriors burst forth from the foliage. The insistent buzzing of insects was cut off by another louder humming, that which would emanate from a revved up engine, getting closer, and closer…

A blur dropped from the heavens wielding a violet wave of light.

Kyp Durron always knew how to make an entrance.

His thundering arrival into the fray instantly slayed one enemy and swiftly cut down another. Their foes, however, recovered from their initial surprise and held fast.

Jaina slashed the last thud bug and cut off a duo that were trying to outflank her Master. She went on the offensive and slashed multiple blows to push her foes back onto their heels.

Kyp's new opponent was the tallest and ugliest of the bunch. Thus, she presumed, the leader of the pack. The Master gestured to the creature, indicating him to make the first move.

The Yuuzhan Vong obliged.


	3. The Resistance

**- - The Resistance**

In typical dueling circumstances when a contender found oneself outnumbered in a two versus one situation, they'd hold steady and take a defensive stance. Jaina Solo was proving a contradiction to this doctrine.

Lightsaber hilt held diagonally above her head, she drew moderately on the Force to enhance her fighting style. She moved swiftly on her feet, keeping both warriors in her field of vision as she parried blows and delivered harassing ones of her own. Her spins, leaps, and rolls were meant to utilize momentum and conserve her energy. The constant motion prevented her opponents from pinning her in and overpowering her with their strength and numbers.

As one warrior swirled his amphistaff at her head, Jaina ducked, rolled, and slashed at his ankles. The severed tendons of his planted foot forced him onto one knee with a howl more akin to frustration rather than pain. The second warrior engaged with the brunette, forcing her to block right and left, high and low. She kept him at bay and countered, but his own defenses were sturdy. Her peripheral vision revealed the other warrior, although maimed, was coming her way. Her current opponent jabbed at her midsection and she parried and sidestepped the blow, causing the warriors momentum to shift into the path of his oncoming comrade.

The jab happened to puncture shallowly into the Yuuzhan Vong's side, forcing him to stumble. Shock, humiliation, and rage crossed the face of the doer of the damage, as he turned full round onto the Jedi. Their brief confusion, however, allowed Jaina a moment to assess the battlefield.

Kyp was heavily engaged in a vicious duel with the largest of the group, giving ground as he parried each brutal blow before delivering a counter of his own. The strike mangled the warrior's hand, rendering it useless—but, apparently, made a good bludgeon as cauterized knuckles struck a crunching blow to his cranium.

The Jedi Master staggered, his Force awareness slipping.

"Kyp!" Her cry was pained, strangled. Her heartbeat seemed to amplify in her ribcage. The two warriors were closing in on her, and she was on the verge of losing another person to this remorseless war. She feinted, attacked, and acrobatically leapt over her two opponents. Her Force-enhanced leap got her within striking distance just as the warrior lined up to impale her Master with his amphistaff.

Her desperate strike didn't cut through the vonduum crab armor but was enough to throw him off-balance and miss his target, amphistaff sticking stiffly in the ground. Jaina pressed her attack, and felt Kyp get his senses about him as he, too, returned to the action.

Although the warrior had her in size, Jaina held the melee advantage as she had use of both hands to strike fast from different angles while her opponent could defend with only one hand occupying his cumbersome weapon.

The large warrior showed his stamina as he parried each blow, than delivered a high strike of his own, which Jaina went to block…

The strike wasn't as nearly as heavy as it should have been, and Jaina realized her mistake too late. Her maneuver left her lower body exposed as the Yuuzhan Vong delivered a powerful low roundhouse kick that literally sent her head-over-heels, landing awkwardly on her shoulder.

The warrior delivered a heavy downward hack and her arms burned with the block. Jaina searched desperately at her surroundings to find a way out of her precarious position. There seemed to be nothing but trees.

Trees.

Her senses became dominated by a _hiss _that wasn't coming from her lightsaber.

Like a nightmare, the viper head of the staff coiled and showed the Jedi its fangs. Jaina reached out into the Force, and desperately ripped limbs from a nearby tree and struck them against her opponent from his blind side.

It worked and knocked the fighter off his feet, the venom-spitting viper missing its prey as a result. Jaina had barely rolled back onto her feet when she delivered a fatal slash to her opponent's throat. Solo whirled on her heels to find Kyp still engaged in battle: two lay dead nearby while another new duo circled the Jedi Master.

Jaina heard more beings coming in the distance. They had to get out of there, and fast. She extended her senses to Kyp and he grasped her like an open hand. She went to cover his flank, but the new enclosing combatants forced them to fight back-to-back. Their Force meld provided cohesion in their attacking strikes and defensive blows, but the situation was dire.

The Jedi apprentice gritted her teeth, "Any bright ideas, Durron?" With the newcomers came another flurry of thud bugs, she did her best to parry one warrior's attack and strike down the oncoming projectiles. A grunt from behind her and Kyp's weight suddenly off her back informed her one got by her defenses.

"Sorry—shavit!" Cursing replaced her apologies as one deft warrior went on an offensive with multiple strikes that would be lethal had they found their target. She managed to pull him in a lock that exposed his face to her fist. The fracturing impact stunned the Vong, and suddenly a beam of energy exploded in his face.

Now Jaina sat stunned, and the fallen warrior's compatriot appeared just as surprised. The expression changed to fury in a direction beyond Jaina's visual perception. The Yuuzhan Vong charged with a war cry but was met with another precise and powerful discharge of energy. The force only crippled him, and Jaina leapt in to finish the job with a slice of her lightsaber.

Her foes now dealt with, Jaina whirled to witness Kyp dispatching one warrior and turning onto the next. She could sense stirring ahead in the forest, where the assistance seemed to stem from. She hurried to Kyp's side and assisted him with slaying his quarry.

With their skills and momentum in their favor, they dealt with the lone contender quickly enough. They had a moment to catch their breath.

The danger, however, did not rest.

The Force pulled Jaina's attention back to the forest, where she was able to note moving figures rushing her way in the brush. She instinctively raised her lightsaber and braced herself. She allowed the Force to flow through her and—

Wait.

"I can sense one!" She declared, jubilant. She stretched her senses and snagged like a hook to the individual. She sensed the being and its impending situation coming in their direction.

A plan formulated in her mind. "Kyp!" He knew her plan before she acknowledged him and set himself into position while Jaina crouched ahead in nearby foliage.

She used the Force to urge the person in her direction, drawing tailing Vong with it. Whoever it was—a woman—burst from the foliage and ran past the Jedi before somersaulting and grinding to a halt as she reversed her landing. She withdrew a single blaster all in the same maneuver as she targeted the Yuuzhan Vong who weren't far behind.

Her trailers slowed not from witnessing their prey's new aggressive stance, but from the several bodies of their comrades within the vicinity. Jaina took that moment of distraction to spring from her hiding spot and strike at her unprepared enemy. She landed a glancing blow as supporting blaster fire came from her rear. The second warrior closed in and raised his staff to strike, unaware of the Jedi Master behind him who stabbed at the exposed armpit all but severing the limb. The crippled foe spun only to have his throat opened from an expert swing. Jaina, Kyp, and their latest arrival made short work of the final Yuuzhan Vong.

The world was now dominated by the humming of lightsabers, the wind unsettling leaves, and the three beings panting to catch their breath.

The woman who had arrived now lay hands and knees on the ground, her heavy breathing evident in the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders. Jaina took a glance at Kyp, whose nose was a bloody mess that ran down his chin only to be absorbed by his tunic. His green eyes were focused, however, on their recent company.

The desperate fighting left their meld wide open, and she could feel Kyp's suspicions and his current assessment of the woman in the Force. Jaina withdrew her lightsaber but by no means let her guard down. The young Jedi caressed the individual in the Force, sensing a young but exhausted spirit. It was only when her face lifted from her hunched position did Jaina notice how young she was.

_Force_, she swore, _she's nearly my age_.

She was filthy, to say the least. Her face wore the expression of wanting to speak, but she had yet to sufficiently fill her oxygen-deprived lungs.

Kyp was the first to speak, "You lost?"

Jaina managed not to roll her eyes. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Their latest company was able to bring a hand to a propped knee and look at them properly, although exhaustion rolled off her in waves. "I'm the Resistance!" She embellished the word with faux pride. "And I'm not," she inhales out of breath, "lost. I'm… on Borleais."

The Jedi Master gave her a skeptical look. "You said the Resistance. Are there more of you?"

Her eyes became suddenly downcast, "There _were_." She didn't need to need to clarify for the two Jedi to understand her meaning. Her grief swiftly changed to resentment and she snapped at them, "Look, can't we just get out of here? This isn't a prime spot to have a conversation, you know. And why'd you have to hightail it from that X-wing anyway? What kind of rescue mission was that if you don't even check the area for survivors! I set that beacon off over a day ago and waited just to see my only hope of getting out of here run away like a bunch of—why are you looking at me like that?"

Jaina and Kyp both wore stunned expressions from the young adult's rant. "You activated the beacon?" they asked simultaneously.

"Yes," she replied, eyeing one then the other and back, "it was smashed a bit when I found it but I know my way well enough with a hydrospanner." She watched them both as an air of revelation hung about them. She could see gears turning in their heads, and became impatient. "What!"

Both appeared to come back to the present, and while the older Jedi seemed to search his belongings, the other began speaking, "We thought that—"

The non-Jedi waited, expectantly.

"—Never mind, we should get going."

She groaned at the two, and stomped to her feet, muttering, "Frelling good-for-nothing Jedi."

Her comment didn't go unnoticed, as Jaina replied, "Good enough to rescue you, though."

"Hey!"

_Guess she's the combative type_, Jaina surmised as the girl, now entirely energized, stomped her way over to the Jedi. Kyp, in the background, plugged one ear as he used his comlink.

"Listen, you! I was the one that saved _your _rear-ends from a Yuuzhan Vong sacrifice, not the other way around." She jabbed a finger into Jaina's shoulder that caused the Jedi to finally turn around and acknowledge her. "If I hadn't come rushing in guns blazing, you'd be breathing amphistaff right now."

"We had ourselves _handled_, thank you very much." Jaina couldn't help keep the annoyed tone out of her voice. "And you activated the beacon, obviously _you _were intending to be rescued."

"I wasn't looking for a rescue, I was looking for a ride! A ride that you managed to wreck, for Force-sakes!"

Jaina's fists clenched at the young girl's tirade, and a glance from Kyp willing her to be vigilant wasn't helping any. "We came out here to rescue our crashed pilot, we weren't looking for some lost _kid_." The girl noticeably bristled at the last word, but surprisingly held her tongue.

She remained poised for another verbal lashing, however, so Jaina crossed her arms and turned towards Kyp, who was off to the side relaying their coordinates for pickup from the base. With the adrenaline of battle wearing off, she noticed painful throbbing in her side where her pack hung loose. She checked the bag only to find its contents smashed to pieces, likely the result of her fall from the speederbike.

_Oh, well, _it appeared the mystery of the beacon was nothing to worry about in the end, at least.

* * *

Their ride back, fortunately, proved uneventful. Their passenger, who claimed her name was Esli, remained as tight mouthed as a Mon Calamarian clam whenever asked a question. Her answers, when provided, were often curt but provided just enough detail to contain merit. When she did speak, however, it was to mention how acutely she needed a sani-steam and that Republic rations had all the flavor of a muddy brick.

Jaina had to agree, especially about the rations. _Too bad the food in the mess isn't much better,_ she noted faintly.

Kyp's constant questioning had its reasons. Although Esli wasn't absent in the Force, it didn't rule out that she wasn't a pawn of the Yuuzhan Vong. Her vague answers, whether she had noticed or not, wasn't helping clear her case. However, if she had been fighting as long as she claimed to in enemy territory, Jaina could understand not wanting to relive and talk about the horrible experience of losing everyone around you.

_Myrkr._

She shook the straggling memories out of her head.

If the girl was being honest, then she went through a grinding experience that no one so young should have had to endure. And if she was lying, Jaina was certain they'd find out soon enough. Although Esli's presence was clear in the Force, there was something shady in her aura that Jaina couldn't quite discern from the rest.

There was a small crowd upon their return to base. Cilghal, the Mon Calamarian Jedi Knight was there with her clinical staff at hand. Many pilots had aroused early from their bunks that morning hoping for the return of a lost comrade. As realization dawned on their faces, Jaina couldn't bear watch the aggrieved expressions and quickly averted her gaze.

Her eyes settled on the serene face of the Jedi Healer and she found herself able to slowly clear her mind. Noting that the blonde haired scientist wasn't among the welcoming committee, she asked, "Where's Danni?"

Cilghal's head bobbed in a human-like nod as she replied, "The Starlancer Project has taken up much of her time, she apologizes that she couldn't make it. We'll be sure to pass along the contents you retrieved from the field for her to review." A female assistant approached Jaina and set off for the lab once in possession of what remained of the beacon. Cilghal's bulbous head looked passed Jaina's to witness the emergence of a roughed up Kyp Durron and a grimy looking stranger. "You ran into trouble." She stared disapprovingly at the condition of the Jedi Master's nose.

"Just a fist." He motioned to the youth beside him. "This one's Esli, last of the Borleian Resistance, she says." Her eyes did a little twitch that made it clear she was annoyed with his skepticism, but she continued scouring the hangar. When Jaina probed, beyond the exhaustion she could feel the hint of awe and disbelief emanating from her.

She caught Jaina's eye as if she felt the subtle pressure before lowly mentioning, "Never thought I'd see so many people again, after…" her brows furrowed as she searched for words, before sagging, "everything."

The crowd had begun dispersing as mechanics returned to duties and disappointed off-duty pilots began to part ways. Off to the distance, beside a blue skinned Chiss stood Jagged Fel. The two were engaged in conversation and then his eyes caught Jaina's briefly. An indefinable feeling in her chest caused her to self-consciously glance away and pay attention to what was happening in front of her.

Kyp was speaking to Cilghal. "You'll have to run a physical on her, no telling what she caught running around in the jungle all that time—"

"Sani-steam first," she interrupted Kyp.

"After you—"

"No, _first_." Fists clenched, her eyes looked challengingly into Kyp's.

His hand draped wearily over his face, "Why you stubborn, little—Hey!" His reached out and snatched her arm at her attempt to wander off. "Where you think you're going?"

"To find a refresher," she moaned, as if it were obvious.

His patience was wearing thin. "Not until—"

"Master Durron," Cilghal's voice was firm enough to be heard yet tranquil enough to calm the two hotheads. "There is a decontamination suite in the medical wing which will serve both purposes fine."

There was a long pause before Kyp relented. He straightened and released his grip from her elbow; all the while giving Cilghal the look that said _you could've mentioned that earlier_. Mon Calamarian expressions were difficult to read, but Jaina sensed brief flash of amusement at the outcome.

Smug at Kyp's defeat as much as Jaina was entertained by it, Esli was led on in the direction of the medical wing by one of the medical personnel while Cilghal remained behind.

Kyp, still incensed, mumbled, "Force have it, I'm not a babysitter."

Jaina huffed as old memories surfaced, "Yeah, you were."

"You know, you were a piece of work back then, too."

"Glad I haven't lost my touch." She crossed her arms, a glint in her eye.

He was about to remark when the Jedi Healer interrupted him with her concern for his nose. Kyp adamantly claimed he was fine, a bacta patch and healing trance and he'd be as good as new, trying to brush off her lengthy fingers approaching for a closer examination. He remained evasive until Jaina's flip comment about his face being the only good thing going for him.

"You should salvage what you can," she concluded.

He didn't miss a beat, "The Goddess approves of this face?" He stroked his chin in thought, "This lowly servant is curious as to what else the Goddess approves of."

She turned her head in an attempt to hide the heat reflected on her cheeks when a pained wince from behind revealed the healer's hands had finally found purchase. Jaina turned to see a reluctant Kyp submit to Cilghal's facial ministrations.

She continued her gentle probing and a checklist of medical questions while Kyp stubbornly insisted that he was fine. "Look, Cilghal, it's just—" his head jerked as the healer found a sensitive spot, "Ah! It's just a bruise. Stop _poking_ it."

"Hold still." Kyp sighed as he put his hands on his hips. Cilghal adjusted his chin so better lighting could highlight the planes of his face. However, Kyp had her in height, and she told him to sit.

Kyp's eyes scoured the hangar, and seeing no chair, he asked, "Where?"

"Here."

He raised an eyebrow, "On the floor?"

From a distance away came Jaina's impatient voice, "Just sit down, Kyp!"

The Jedi Master complied swiftly, much to Jaina's liking. Cilghal knelt in front of him, flashing a lit device from one pupil to the other. Satisfied with the results, she put the device away and placed her hands accordingly on his nasal area.

Going for a distraction, she asked, "How was the rest of the mission?"

Kyp acknowledged her with a glance before returning his eyes to the ceiling to keep his head where she wanted it. He'd barely gotten the first few words out of his mouth before an audible _pop_ and an agonized yell that caused Jaina to wince as it reverberated throughout the hangar.

Cilghal, having done her job, was now standing and sorting through supplies her Sullustan assistant was carrying. Kyp sat, hands to his face and head between his knees, mumbling what Jaina was sure to be numerous profanities in a fruitless attempt to cancel out the pain.

Sympathetic to his discomfort, Jaina made her way over to both Jedi Master and Healer. "Is he going to be alright?" She asked.

Cilghal confirmed with a nod. Hands still closed on his face, Kyp eventually sat up, some swelling and a black and blue tint becoming evident on his face. Cilghal pulled some tablets out of her kit, "For the pain." She gestured the pills toward Kyp, who swiftly grabbed them and palmed them in his mouth. "You won't be able to fly while on the painkillers."

Immediately, Kyp spat out what he nearly swallowed, "I'm not gonna be grounded for a _bruise_."

"Nasal fracture." Cilghal corrected.

"Same thing." Kyp tossed the almost swallowed pills to the Sullustan assistant, who caught out of reflex instead of compliance. Now on his feet, Kyp adamantly added, "You can't ground me with the whole Twin Suns getting revamped on top of being in the middle of a warzone. We've got a roster to fill out, simulations to run, drills to do—"

"Kyp—" Jaina tried to interrupt his tirade.

Didn't work. "—maneuver exercises to configure, patrol and escort runs, and we can't afford to be anymore shorthanded than we already are." He stood his ground, expecting an argument and preparing a riposte.

Cilghal, however, was the passive type and acknowledged that if he was clearheaded, then he was certainly fit to fly. Kyp's posture certainly relaxed at her response. As the healer was about to leave, it reminded the Jedi Master who she was returning to and he spoke out, "Cilghal, wait," she stopped and glanced at him from over her shoulder. Kyp trotted up over to her with head hung low for a private conversation. Sensing this, Jaina called out, "Remember, first flight's at twelve-hundred!"

"Will do, Goddess," he confirmed with nod in her direction, and turned his attention to the Mon Calamarian. "I wanted to talk about that new patient of yours…"

As his sentence trailed off, she patiently asked, "What's on your mind, Kyp?"

Still a pause, as they both made a slow trek towards the medical wing. It was just the two of them as they waded their way onward as Cilghal had sent her remaining assistants ahead of them.

"I don't trust her," he finally stated. Cilghal gestured for him to continue. "Her story… some things just don't add up. She's awfully young to have the fighting abilities and intellect to survive in a warzone."

Thinking of her Chadra-fan assistant's involvement with the Jedi strike team, Cilghal commented, "The Jedi have had many of their young participating in war conflicts. Perhaps the fighting made a warrior of this Esli as well?"

"Yes, but the Jedi are _trained_ in styles of combat and are certainly more prepared for such a situation then some misplaced refugee." He brushed a hand through his long, dark hair, "And she's as tightlipped to questions as a Hutt's purse is to prying. Plus, she has a temper, which may be due to teenage hormones or a ploy to distract me from asking more questions."

"Perhaps a bit of both," she suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." The hand that ran through his hair now rested on his jaw as his mind tried to solve a mental puzzle. "It's not that I sense any amount of maliciousness from her, it's just… she's lying and being honest with me at the same time. It's where the honesty ends and the deceit begins is what I can't seem to untangle."

Cilghal's elongated head faced his, "You want my help with this?"

Kyp nodded. "If you can get her to talk, and cross-reference her story with me, I'd appreciate it."

"I'll talk to her, and get back to you, then."

The Jedi Master exhaled a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Cilghal." He patted her shoulder and turned to leave, but her voice stopped him.

"And Kyp?"

The tall Jedi turned to regard her.

"Don't forget to ice."

His throbbing nose ensured that he wouldn't.

* * *

**Author's Note; I'll try to update weekly, or biweekly. I wanna stay ahead by having a few chapters done and ready ahead of time in case of writer's block, so I don't torture you as much. I was lucky to have the first few chapters looked at, but I'm still looking for a beta. Concrit is welcome! =) And for the longest time, I thought "Cilghal" was spelt "Clighal" (I think I found and fixed them all above). The bad habit has been engrained, however, so I'll always pronounce it "Clee-gul," as I'm fond of it ;)**


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